There is nothing I hate more than hard beans, and yet, I love using dried beans vice canned. So this is something I struggle with.
Knowing my hard bean issues, I chose to put the beans in my pressure cooker first. I set it to high and cooked them for 14 minutes under pressure.
The beans were just the right level of doneness. Not too hard, not to soft.
I also used my bean water instead of plain water when assembling the soup. I felt that it added some flavor to the stock.
My husband was amazed with the salt pork. It is creamy, like butter once cooked. I guess he has never had it before, even though I know I have cooked with it before. Apparently the previous attempts were not that memorable!
I felt that the soup needed something. Salt, definitely, but a little acid too. It was a little once note, a little flat. But it was nice and thick, which was nice.
BLACK BEAN SOUP
2 Cups Dried Black Beans
12 Cups Water
¼ Pound Salt Pork, Diced
1 Carrot, Diced
3 Small Onions, Minced
¼ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper or Mace
3 Hard Cooked Eggs, Sliced (Optional)
¼ Cup Sherry
Rinse beans and then soak overnight. Drain and add to large stock pot. Add water, salt pork, carrot, onion and cayenne. Cover and cook slowly for 3 hours or until beans have become soft. Remove a portion of the beans and run through a sieve back into the pot. Add sherry, stirring to combine. Top with egg slices if desired.
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